Part of the world called Europe provides many opportunities for memorable cultural rest, high-paying work, quality education.
But not every person can get here, as many European powers need Schengen to visit.
If you are going to visit Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Poland and any other developed European state, you should know what is a Schengen visa and how to get it .
Thanks to this document, you can easily travel to almost any power. But not everyone can get this coveted solution.
What is a Schengen visa, the Schengen agreement, the Schengen area?
Closed borders mean that to visit each country we need to issue a document that allows entry.
But when we hear the word "Schengen", we understand that this is a single visa, which opens the doors to virtually all developed European states.
But when this tradition was born, which powers signed the Schengen agreement and what is the visa now?
1) What is the Schengen agreement and the Schengen zone?
14.06.1985 The five European countries( Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Luxembourg) signed the Schengen agreement( the name was given to the agreement by the Luxembourg hamlet, where signatures were placed), which simplified the visa regime between them.
This agreement lasted only a short time( only 15 years), and already in 1999 it was replaced by special legislation - a list of rules and laws that all the members( current and future) of the European Union, as well as partner countries, had to obey.
So the Schengen zone appeared - a zone with open( well, practically) for free movement between citizens of these powers by borders.
Today in the free zone there are 26 states. All but four( Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein) are members of the European Union.
It is expected that at least 4 more countries will join the free zone:
If you live in a state whose government has not signed the agreement, but in your plans to visit several powers from the named 26, you just need to issue one Schengen visa andtravel with it almost throughout Europe.
2) Why is it desirable to get a Schengen visa to enter the European non-Schengen countries?
Schengen is generally a very useful thing, even if you want to visit a country that is not part of the Schengen zone.
The current visa makes the border guards more friendly to foreigners that they want to cross the border.
This rule applies primarily to European states that are not part of the European Union and did not sign the Schengen agreement.
Here, for example, you dream of visiting one( or all at once) of the dwarf European states:
Although none of the named powers have signed an agreement with an open Schengen visa and valid foreign passport, you can easily enter the territory of eachof them.
Once you have received the Schengen, you will probably get an entry permit automatically in the future, unless, of course, you violate any laws in the territory of the European Union or your own country.
What is a Schengen visa and what types of visa is it?
If you want to enter the territory of one of the countries where the Schengen agreement operates, then you simply can not do without a special visa.
A Schengen visa is a special document issued to a citizen of a state that is not part of the Schengen area to visit the country that it is entering.
It looks like this:
Almost any person can get a Schengen visa with the exception of those who:
- is a danger to the Schengen countries;
- is wanted by Interpol;
- are under investigation in their home state;
- were deported from the countries participating in the European Commonwealth;
- committed a crime in one of the powers of Europe.
Sometimes in obtaining a Schengen visa, you are simply denied, for example:
- something in your person alerted the consulate staff;
- your surname is consonant with the name of the person who was deported or violated the law;
- you have incorrectly issued documents, etc.
And no one will explain why you were denied the receipt of Schengen. And, without knowing the reason, it will be very difficult to correct the situation.
A few years ago, my acquaintances, living in a civil marriage, were going to work in Poland. He was given a visa without problems, but she was refused for no apparent reason.
To still get permission to enter the neighboring state, my friend had to change the passport of a Ukrainian citizen to her mother's maiden name and on the second attempt succeeded.
Here is the mysterious visa legislation of Europe and so illogically-selectively they approach the issue.
4 types of Schengen visa
There are 4 types of visa that citizens of states can get that are not in the Schengen zone:
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Category A.
This is a transit paper that you receive if you fly through one of the EU countries.
According to this document, you do not have the right to leave the airport.
Its validity is the time that you need to change from one aircraft to another.
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Category B.
Short-term document that is issued no longer than 5 days.
It can be received by those who do not plan to stay in one of the European states for a long time.
For example, you came to a two-day conference or the power of the Schengen zone - this is for you a transit route, but the aircraft you need is sent only two days after arrival, etc.
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Category C.
This is the most popular type of visa that is issued to people that have come to rest in Europe, stay with their relatives or solve their business interests.
There are 4 types:
- With 1 - the validity period is 30 days;
- With 2 - you can stay in Europe at least 30, but not more than 90 days;
- With 3 - issued for a year, but stay in one of the states of the Schengen area you can no longer than 90 days, after which you must leave, but you can also return later, until the visa expires;
- With 4 - it's valid for 5 years, but you can still stay in the Schengen zone for no longer than 90 days.
There is another classification of documents of category C, which should be guided depending on how often you are going to travel to Europe. Visas of category C are:
- single entry - issued for one visit;
- two-time - you can visit the selected country 2 times;
- multiple - trips can be carried out unlimited number of times within the validity of the Schengen.
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Category D.
It is issued for a long time( more than 5 years) and live in one state you can almost unlimited time.
This type of visa should be chosen by those who want to work in Europe or are going to live here permanently.
How to get a Schengen visa without problems?
I think you are interested in this topic not just for the sake of idle interest. Your goal - Schengen for free entry into one of the countries of Europe.
And if so, then you need to understand the procedure, so that without special problems to issue a permit.
1. Where can I get a Shegean visa and how much will it cost?
If you want to get a Schengen visa, then you have 3 options to contact:
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The embassy or consulate of the country whose unimpeded entry into which you need.
Most of the consulates and embassies are located exactly in the capital of your state.
Find information on the Internet about where the embassy / consulate you need is located and how it works without problems.
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Visa Application Center.
If you live far from the capital and do not have enough time and money to go to the embassy / consulate for the Schengen clearance, you can use the services of the visa center.
Applying to the visa center has another advantage - its employees do not check candidates as carefully as employees of consulates and embassies.
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Intermediary.
If you do not have time to do the registration yourself or you are afraid of making a mistake, you can contact the intermediaries for help.
Options - darkness, for example, http://www.easy-visa.ru and others. The same contextual advertising will tell you where to turn.
Get Schengen through an intermediary, although convenient, but not cheap, because you have to pay more and for intermediary services.
Here's the link http: //turdocs.com/ gde-oformit-vizu / you will see a map, through which you can find an embassy, consulate or call center, located as close to you as possible to do everything without any special time and money.
If you are talking about the cost of a visa received directly from a consulate or embassy, and not through an intermediary, it depends on which state of which you are a citizen, what type of visa you want to acquire and whether or not the process of registration takes place urgently or not.
Average cost of Schengen category C for Ukrainians, Russians, Moldovans, Georgians, Serbs, Macedonians and some other nationalities - 35 euros. All the rest must pay 60 euros.
But the visa category D will cost the above-mentioned citizens 60 euros, the rest - 99 euros.
The cost of visa center services is 20 - 30 euros to the cost of the visa itself.
But private companies( for example, the same travel agencies) charge 50 to 100 euros for their help from above.
Wait until you get the schengen, will not be longer than 10 days. Very rarely waiting time is extended to two weeks.
If you need a visa quickly( for example, within three days) you will have to pay extra for it.
2. What documents are needed to get a Schengen visa?
There are a number of conditions that you must fulfill if you want to get a Schengen visa of category C:
- Have a valid passport, which expires at least six months before expiry.
- To be the holder of documents that confirm the purpose of your trip: a tourist permit, an invitation to a conference, a call from a relative, a hotel reservation, etc.
- Have enough money in your bank account( $ 100 per day in Europe).
- Have a return ticket or at least data confirming its reserve.
- To issue an insurance policy.
- Fill out the questionnaire( questions are standard for all countries of the Schengen action, the form is issued at the place of registration or download it on the embassy's website).
- Do not list on the list of dangerous or suspicious persons whose entry to Europe is prohibited.
The list of required documents in order to get Schengen may vary depending on which country you go to and the citizenship of which state you are.
This moment needs to be specified directly in the embassy, consulate, visa center.
And yet there are a number of standard documents that you will definitely need for the design of the Schengen:
1 | The current passport |
2 | Photo 3.4 x 4.5 cm( emphasize to the photographer that you are being photographed for the Schengen, as the photos have their own requirements) |
3 | Completed |
4 | questionnaire Formed medical insurance |
5 | Documents confirming your solvency |
6 | Confirmation of the reservation in the hotel |
7 | A copy of a return ticket or a reserve for it |
In each country there is a list of preferential categories that can draw up a document in a simplified scheme.
In Ukraine, for example, these include:
In order to issue a Schengen visa, you need to know a number of rules.
What are the new features now in this video:
While considering what is a Schengen visa and how to get it , do not forget about the first entry rule: the first entry into the Schengen area should be to the country whose consulate or embassyyou issued a permit.